Chapter 8 - The Convalescence

If there was one thing Minato thought he would never get used to, it was living in a household full of beautiful women.

After his injuries during the rescue of Kusano, he was ordered by his Sekirei (on his mother's strongly worded prescription) to at least a week or two of bedrest under constant supervision. He protested of course, citing impropriety and a belief he could take care of himself. It only took one small, harmless slip in the shower for his personal space and privacy to be provisionally surrendered "for his own good." They may or may not have been right, considering he could still barely move without extreme pain and shortness of breath these days, but he would never admit it aloud for fear of encouraging them to coddle him further. Even so, he didn't think it was necessary for them to take rotating shifts on things like sleeping with him in case he woke up in pain or bathing him to prevent any more shower accidents.

It wasn't like he was complaining about the attention and pampering from young, beautiful women. Heavens no. He was a normal heterosexual male in his early twenties, damn it! If anything, the time he spent as a virtual hikikomori left him even more acutely aware of all the females in his life. He was simply unused to being the center of attention, least of all from a flock of women other than his mother and sister.

Minato was roused out of his musings by a light knocking on his door.

"Come in!" he called out.

Almost as soon as he said the words, Hikari burst into the room with a broad grin. She was followed closely by a very sheepish Hibiki who winced apologetically behind her twin.

"Wakey wakey, sleepyhead!" Hikari exclaimed boisterously as she flopped into bed beside him, careful not to land directly on him. "Naptime is over, let's get our grub on!"

"Hikari!" Her twin scolded. "You could have landed on Minato!"

He ruffled Hikari's hair affectionately and chuckled as he slowly got out of bed. His good humor soured a little when the Twins scrambled to his side and helped lift him to his feet.

"I'm fine, you can stop coddling me like I'm some delicate baby now…" Minato said with more than a little exasperation.

"Can you touch your toes yet?" Hibiki asked in reply.

"I really don't see why that matters…"

"Answer the question, Minato. Can you touch your toes?"

"…"

Minato stood awkwardly with an embarrassed look on his face, knowing full well his body was still far too stiff and sore to do much other than shuffle around very slowly. He sighed and gingerly raised his arms a bit so the Twins could get a better grip and more easily help support his weight.

"That's what I thought," Hibiki said softly, more to herself than anything.

Hikari laid an impulsive peck on his cheek and squeezed his arm gently. He wasn't sure who blushed more between the two of them, but he could feel the heat radiating off both of their faces.

"There, there, Minato. You'll get better in no time!" She grinned widely, face bright with both her usual enthusiasm and her blush. "Now let's get something to eat already. I dunno about you, but I could eat a whale!"

As Hikari continued to chatter about her day and the crazy things she and Hibiki had read about lately, Minato's mood couldn't help but lift itself. It was probably harder for him to walk on his own than to stay grumpy around the Twins. Something about their exuberance and general outlook on the world was just that contagious. Of course, he couldn't help but notice the undercurrent of sadness and what he could swear was guilt run through the bond on occasion. They would never broach the subject themselves, so he could only assume it wasn't something they were quite ready to discuss yet.

The noise they made as they carefully came down the stairs did not go unnoticed. Just as Hikari was about to launch headlong into a discussion of the latest serialized chapter of her favorite manga, Minato noticed Karasuba look up at him from her spot on the couch. She paused in her sword polishing to smirk at the sight of her Ashikabi being assisted down the stairs.

"Glad you finally decided to join us," she teased.

She sheathed her blade and got up to meet him halfway. With a nod at the Twins, Karasuba swept him into her arms and took over the escort duties.

He yelped at the sudden, but gentle maneuver. His Sekirei all took turns assisting him in his convalescence, but Karasuba was simultaneously the most possessive and territorial of them all. She would often (to the great displeasure of whoever's turn it was) swoop in and abruptly take over what someone was assisting Minato with, whether that was bathe or eat. Personally he thought it was more than a little unfair to the rest of his Sekirei who only wanted to help out in their own ways, but neither he nor his other Sekirei could muster the courage to voice their displeasure.

"I really think this is quite unnecessary of you all to do this kind of thing." Minato grumbled as she carried him to the dinner table.

"Sure, sure," she replied dismissively, not even pausing in her step or looking at him when she said it. "But can you touch your toes yet?"

He couldn't help scowling with embarrassment. Why did everyone keep asking that? He didn't really think it was a very accurate benchmark for recovery, especially considering the fact that he could barely manage to touch them even when he was healthy!

Still, he was really in no position to object. It was his own recklessness, well-intentioned or not, that put him in this situation in the first place. Not that he regretted it in any way — if he were in the same situation again, he would do the same every time. His recovery was going smoothly and he figured he would be just fine (if not a little stiffer than usual) soon enough. He just wished his Sekirei wouldn't smother him so much, he had quite enough of that growing up!

"Ah, Minato-sama," Akitsu greeted as she came out of the kitchen. "Dinner just arrived."

She then gestured to the Twins, silently asking them to help her set the table. Hibiki and Hikari lightly squeezed his shoulders before heading into the kitchen proper.

His eyes turned to the large pile of boxes on the counter table, only now noticing the delicious scent of it all wafting into the air. As he expected, among them were containers with the logo of the curry restaurant his Sekirei found to be an acceptable replacement for his own. Several other logos of popular take-out restaurants dotted the other bags and containers. With only his own mental estimations of their cost, he could only sigh at the expense of it all.

With the best (read: only) cook in the house out of commission, there was no way to get food other than take-out. Sure, it had been a pleasant surprise to find out the Twins at least wouldn't burn water like the others, but the extent of their culinary ability was rather limited unless they all wanted to eat egg dishes and salads at every meal. When the only alternative was either Akitsu's attempts at curry and the unspeakable horrors of Karasuba's "cuisine," he had to just suck it up and accept it. Minato's sense of frugality wept at the wastefulness but Karasuba assured him the MBI Black Cards were more than capable of covering the costs. If only his Sekirei would just let him see the receipts!

"Onii-chan!" A small voice cried out just as he was seated.

A blonde ball of energy zipped around the corner and, with very careful deliberation, took a seat in his lap. Kusano had taken to the Sahashi household like a fish to water, and even Karasuba was hard pressed to keep from smiling around her. Oh she did her best to stay stern and stoic around the blonde bundle of sunshine but as soon as Kusano would ask her for favors, even the Black Sekirei was putty in her tiny hands.

"Onii-chan, today I played with Akitsu-nee and Hibiki-nee and Hikari-nee and we had lots of fun!" the Green Girl gushed exuberantly. "And then Karasuba-nee taught me how to do a cool trick! Wanna see?"

Minato was suddenly struck with the distinct sense of discomfort he began to associate with Very Bad Ideas. But as much as his instincts told him to politely decline until they were in a wide open area outside, he couldn't resist Kusano's sparkly-eyed look of eagerness. Only a heartless bastard would have said no to that face, and he certainly didn't want to be a heartless bastard.

He swallowed the danger signs in his gut and nodded his assent. Kusano giggled with delight and hopped off of his lap with just as much deliberate care as she showed to get on. The rest of his Sekirei paused in their dinner preparations to watch as well, their curiosity sparked.

The Green Girl's face scrunched up in adorable concentration, her hands held out in front of her. The table slowly began to shake, slowly at first but then faster and more violently as she focused more intently. A branch, small but steadily growing larger, sprouted from the wood of the tabletop.

Minato's eyes widened in surprise. He should have known little Kusano was capable of doing something like this, but she had told him her control over her Sekirei powers wasn't very good just yet. Obviously something had changed since that conversation and he had a feeling that something (or rather someone) was a certain silver-haired swordswoman standing beside him with a foxlike smirk on her face.

In the time it took him to come to that realization, the branch had elongated and flattened out, taking on a distinctly blade-like shape. Now that he thought about it, it definitely looked like a —

"Ta-dah!" Kusano beamed with delight, holding the object aloft in her small hands. "It's a bokken!"

He should have known.

Karasuba reached out and took the proffered wooden sword from the youngest Sekirei. With a practiced eye, she carefully inspected the craftsmanship. Tossing it from hand to hand, she finally passed it back and patted Kusano on the head with barely concealed pride in her eyes.

"Not too shabby, Squirt." She coughed into her hand and Minato could feel the slight embarrassment rolling into the bond from her. "The balance is still a little off and your speed could still use work, but all in all, not bad."

Kusano practically glowed with the praise and turned to Minato expectantly.

"Err, good job, Kusano!" Minato said somewhat awkwardly. "Your control has gotten a lot better since the last time you told me about it!"

He hadn't much experience dealing with younger girls (excluding his sister who liked to act like she was the older sibling) and dealing with the ones he had around his home now was more than enough of a handful to him already. That inexperience probably made him miss whatever cue Kusano was giving him because she looked a bit put out by his response. She puffed out her cheeks in an odd kind of pout and pointed intently at the top of her head.

'Oh…'

Albeit with a bit of hesitance, Minato got the hint and reached out to rub the top of her head lightly. It was what she had been looking for from the start, practically purring with delight as she smiled radiantly up at him.

"Now, let's eat, shall we?"

In all honesty, Akitsu was still uncertain how she felt about the recent new arrivals in the Sahashi household.

It wasn't as if she disliked the Lightning Twins or little Kusano. On the contrary, she rather liked the youngest Sekirei, and the vibrant energy both the Twins and the Green Girl (though hard to keep with at times) brought a new dynamic into the house that was missing before. But with any change came a resistance that preferred the previous status quo.

She didn't have as much time to spend with Minato-sama, even before it got so much busier. Karasuba laid an especially large claim to most of their Ashikabi's free time and had only just begun to loosen up and share more fairly before the incident in the Arboretum. His convalescence schedule had been an attempt by all 4 of his Sekirei (5 if she included the still unwinged Kusano) to share the responsibility and give each other the space they needed to come to terms with his near-death experience. To what degree that was considered successful differed greatly depending on who was asked.

It was fairly obvious Karasuba thought the whole thing was a resounding "mission accomplished," if not a little discontent at having been forced (as if any of the other Sekirei could truly make the Black Calamity do anything against her will) to share. The Twins and little Kusano had been more than happy to have any time at all with their Ashikabi, even if it was occasionally interrupted by the No 04. Only she, whether privately or otherwise, was not happy about the arrangement.

Was it wrong of her to want more time with Minato-sama? He was her entire universe, her sole reason for living. She existed to carry out his will and ensure his well-being. How could she bear to sit around idly while he suffered? Sure, she knew the others cared about him as well and would do their best for him, but she wanted to be there for him herself.

It was selfish, utterly so, but Akitsu didn't know how else to act yet. With Karasuba, she was the outsider coming into an established relationship dynamic. She could accept a subordinate position since it was only the two of them. The Twins and Kusano on the other hand were younger in every way: age, Number, and especially tenure in Minato's flock. Of course, she did have to wonder how Karasuba had been able to accept her own intrusion when she too had been in that position the first time around. Karasuba never struck her as the outgoing and sharing type in the slightest. In retrospect, it was almost a small miracle No. 09 had survived her own impromptu winging.

"Oi, what are you doing standing here in the middle of the kitchen by yourself? Looking for a snack too?"

Akitsu blinked dumbly at the sight of the very woman she was just thinking of standing right in front of her with a quizzical look on her face.

"Ah… I was just thinking."

Karasuba cocked her head, an odd look on her face. After a moment, she shrugged almost to herself. The No. 04 lightly grabbed her by the arms and physically lifted her up and out of the way of the refrigerator. It was an effortless gesture that spoke of her vast strength, but the gentle way she was set down was just as telling if not more so. It gave Akitsu the bit of courage she needed to seek advice for something that had been weighing heavily on her mind.

"Karasuba… Ah… Can I ask you a question?"

She didn't turn around from staring into the refrigerator, only putting her hands on her hips instead.

"You just did, but I'll allow another. What's up?"

"I…" Akitsu swallowed nervously. "How do you deal with… jealousy?"

Karasuba didn't say anything immediately. Grabbing two cans of iced tea, she closed the door with her foot and wordlessly handed one to the Ice Sekirei. Akitsu was more than a little taken aback but accepted the drink with murmured thanks. The silver-haired woman sipped at her own before leaning against the kitchen counter and facing Akitsu.

"Jealousy, huh? You should know me well enough by now to realize I'm the last person you should be asking. Minato's a lot better at this mushy stuff."

"I understand that." Akitsu was also more than aware of Karasuba's weakness in this regard but bravely pressed on. "But I also know you well enough by now to know you are not much of the… 'sharing type' either."

Karasuba raised her can in a mock toast and chuckled into her drink as she sipped.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think that was almost sarcasm from you."

"..." A small blush bloomed on the Ice Sekirei's cheek.

A wry grin settled over Karasuba's lips. She set the can down and folded her arms lightly under her breasts.

"Jealousy, huh? I'd say I don't really deal with it that well, to be honest."

Akitsu tilted her head in confusion. Seeing the look on the No. 07's face, Karasuba continued to elaborate.

"I don't like the idea of sharing Minato. He was mine first after all." She shook her head softly. "On a purely rational level, it only makes sense for him to have multiple Sekirei — he's clearly a very powerful Ashikabi and the more he wings, the stronger he gets. Then again, I've never been one for pure rationalism."

"So how do you put up with… this?" Akitsu asked again, gesturing with her hands to the entirety of their shared household. "With us?"

The Black Sekirei coughed awkwardly and scratched the back of her neck.

"Well… Somehow, having all of us around — you, me, the twins, even the little one now — makes him happy. If he were to lose any of us, I think it would break him. For that reason, I swallow my jealousy and try not to let it bring me down for his sake at least."

"Is it normal to feel this way? Possessive and jealous?"

"Anyone who claims otherwise is lying through their teeth." Karasuba pushed off the countertop and walked past Akitsu, patting her on the shoulder as she passed." It's what you do with those feelings that matter. Personally, I consider it a win whenever I keep myself from cutting your hands off for touching my man."

Akitsu paled a bit, not quite sure if she was joking or being truthful.

"At least sharing with you lot isn't quite as bad as I thought it would have been…"

Akitsu smiled, not without a fair amount of relief, at her words. It was somehow immensely reassuring to know her feelings were not abnormal. Dealing with it was another matter, but she figured she could do it. If Karasuba of all people could, what excuse did she have?

The Ice Sekirei felt an impulsive surge come over her all of a sudden. She ran behind Karasuba for a gentle back hug. The elder Sekirei stiffened with an initial shock but relaxed and patted the arms encircling her waist with a chuckle. The Ice Sekirei buried her face in her strong back. She giggled to herself when the familiar masculine scent of Minato's body wash wafted into her nose.

"Thank you," she said simply.

A sudden sniffle had Akitsu whirl about with shock, only to come face to face with a teary-eyed trio of the Twins and Kusano standing in the hallway.

"Ah… How long have you three been standing there?" she asked nervously.

"My guess is only long enough to catch the tail end of our little chat." Karasuba deadpanned.

"T-That was s-so nice of you, Karasuba…!" Hikari wiped her eyes with the long sleeve of her night shirt.

Her twin Hibiki agreed with an emphatic nod, pawing at her own eyes as well.

"Y-You really t-think we're not that b-b-bad…?"

Kusano on the other hand sobbed openly and dragged the Twins over in her tiny hands where she pushed all of the Sekirei together for a group hug. Akitsu and Karasuba suddenly found themselves at the center of a ball of emotional bonding.

"Kuu loves all of her nice onee-san!"

In the midst of it all, Akitsu's eyes met Karasuba's. The Black Sekirei looked a little exasperated if she was reading her correctly, but Karasuba only sighed with exaggerated weariness and returned the hugs.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't let it get to your heads."

"Gang activity has been on the rise in Tokyo and the Metropolitan Police Commissioner has vowed to take increased measures to combat it. We now bring you live to the Commissioner's press conference on the issue."

...

"We will not tolerate bands of delinquent youth terrorizing our streets. We will crack down on this criminal activity and return Tokyo to a state of peace and security."

"Sir, who are these gangs anyway? Are they existing organizations or new offshoots?"

"Investigative and eyewitness reports indicate a mix of both. Organized crime elements already in the city have mostly grown in size and influence from their leaders becoming 'Ashikabi' of the Sekirei through 'winging,' sometimes multiple. Other groups have sprung up around splinter organizations who have otherwise acquired one or more of Sekirei or Ashikabi of their own."

"Does this rise in activity have anything to do with MBI's public announcement or the so-called 'Sekirei Game?'"

"I believe these gangs are simply taking advantage of the event sponsored by MBI to raise havoc and unrest. President Minaka has pledged full cooperation with the police in order to resolve the situation."

"The Sekirei Game was supposed to be just that — a game. This recent spike in gang activity is detrimental to both the integrity of the game as well as a threat to public safety, and that's not very fun at all! MBI pledges full support and cooperation with the police in providing our highly trained security forces to patrol the city and root out these criminals.

Also, after a few… hiccups in staffing issues, I am pleased to announce the reinstatement of the MBI Disciplinary Squad in its 4th Generation! This crack team of Sekirei and their Ashikabi handlers will ensure a spirit of fair play and renew the public's trust in our ability to keep the peace. I for one look forward to their immediate results!"

…

"Immediate results? What a fuckin' joke!" Buzan guffawed, shutting off the television in front of him.

A chorus of echoing laughter followed suit as the room full of his subordinates took their boss's lead.

"The Buzan Group ain't afraid of shit, ain't that right, boys?"

The roar of approval shook the room as Buzan himself grinned wildly.

"With Ikki-jou-chan on our side, we're practically un-fuckin'-stoppable!" he reached over and planted a possessive kiss on the girl sitting on his lap.

The girl blushed from the attention but the devilish grin on her face showed her glee even as her wings burst from her back in a spray of light. Her hair was styled in a wild short bob, and she was dressed in a short white cheongsam-styled shirt with provocative slits cut daringly up the sides and a pair of tight black spandex shorts. A large number 19 was tattooed on the side of her left thigh. Two sheathed kodachi rested on her hip even as she sat in her Ashikabi's lap, an ever present symbol of her strength.

"First, we finish making the North our fuckin' turf. Then, we take over the whole goddamn rest of Tokyo! Nothing's gonna stand in our fuckin' way, boys!"

AN: Apologies for falling off the face of the earth for a couple months. Life got in the way of my usual update schedule, and Google Drive somehow deleted most of my work on this chapter. Incredibly frustrating, especially since the whole point of me moving my work to the cloud was to prevent things like this from happening...

There were supposed to be a few thousand more words to this chapter but I just couldn't recreate it all from memory. I was kind of just sick of this particular breather chapter but the next one should hopefully get back to the usual length within a reasonable time-frame. The last scene in this chapter directly sets up the next arc of the story, my first try at completely original plotting. Hope you all like what's to come!

Also, I probably won't be able to personally reply to the wonderful comments or PMs I've gotten since the last review. For that, I am sincerely apologetic. Each and every one of them was definitely read, so not to worry! Please don't let a lack of reply discourage you from giving more feedback or making more reviews, I will try to get back on it for future messages and reviews from this point on!

PS: It would be nice if you all also read and reviewed my other story, Legacy of Uzushiogakure... k thx